Scuba liveaboard

[dancelnow]

Long shot, but has anyone done a scuba liveaboard? FI has only heard about Blackbeard's; but from reading reviews and details I need at least a step up with regards to accommodations. Anyone done one they want to review?

[mrsd2006]

There was somebody on ML who had done this, but I'm not sure she's still around. You could always ask over there.

[mich1]

Funny, we leave for Belize later this week for a liveaboard. We are on the Aggressor IV. DH is diving, I am not. This has gotten fairly good reviews when we looked into it.

They book fast. I started looking last Sept. and by the time DH made a decision in Oct, the earliest reservation I could get was May.

[just]

pandce.proboards.com/thread/597941/live-aboards

[chimera]

May 13, 2019 18:05:45 GMT -5 just said:

pandce.proboards.com/thread/597941/live-aboards

Building on the prior discussion


We did the Bahamas Aggressor in Feb - which is their oldest boat, but it fit the schedule. (Belize was the other one we were looking at for the same week, but it filled while we were clearing the time in late December. )

We are doing the Maldives Aggressor in August. Trying to fit another one in over my Christmas break- it might end up as a land based trip


Options

Bahamas:
Blackbeard’s I& II are camping on the sea
Juliet is a little higher than Blackbeard’s on the accommodations
Bahamas Master
Aquacat/Aggressor will be your higher end

GBR
Spirit of Freedom or Mike Ball

Polar areas
Oceanwide Expeditions

For other areas - there are lots of options from budget to $$$$$. This online travel agent will give you an idea of the options and pricing

www.liveaboard.com

[steamboat185]

We’ve done the Galapagos sky in the Galapagos. It was AWESOME but I wouldn’t recommend unless you are a pretty good diver the currents are intense it’s like flying underwater.

[dancelnow]

Thank y'all. I'd been browsing liveaboard.com but there were so many options. We're doing a weekend trip to the gulf of Mexico flower gardens in September so that will be our first taste of sleeping on board.

[mich1]

May 15, 2019 6:35:24 GMT -5 chimera said:

May 13, 2019 18:05:45 GMT -5 just said:

pandce.proboards.com/thread/597941/live-aboards

Building on the prior discussion


We did the Bahamas Aggressor in Feb - which is their oldest boat, but it fit the schedule. (Belize was the other one we were looking at for the same week, but it filled while we were clearing the time in late December. )

We are doing the Maldives Aggressor in August. Trying to fit another one in over my Christmas break- it might end up as a land based trip


Options

Bahamas:
Blackbeard’s I& II are camping on the sea
Juliet is a little higher than Blackbeard’s on the accommodations
Bahamas Master
Aquacat/Aggressor will be your higher end

GBR
Spirit of Freedom or Mike Ball

Polar areas
Oceanwide Expeditions

For other areas - there are lots of options from budget to $$$$$. This online travel agent will give you an idea of the options and pricing

www.liveaboard.com

We went to the Maldives for our honeymoon, and I would love to go back.  Depending upon how this trip to Belize on the Aggressor pans out, I would consider a Maldives boat/resort based vacation like we are doing in Belize next week.

The other consideration would be I hang by myself at the resort and he goes on the liveaboard.  However, I’ll be paying a single rate.....which can be (almost) as much as another person.

[chimera]

May 15, 2019 10:08:25 GMT -5 mich1 said:

May 15, 2019 6:35:24 GMT -5 chimera said:

Building on the prior discussion


We did the Bahamas Aggressor in Feb - which is their oldest boat, but it fit the schedule. (Belize was the other one we were looking at for the same week, but it filled while we were clearing the time in late December. )

We are doing the Maldives Aggressor in August. Trying to fit another one in over my Christmas break- it might end up as a land based trip


Options

Bahamas:
Blackbeard’s I& II are camping on the sea
Juliet is a little higher than Blackbeard’s on the accommodations
Bahamas Master
Aquacat/Aggressor will be your higher end

GBR
Spirit of Freedom or Mike Ball

Polar areas
Oceanwide Expeditions

For other areas - there are lots of options from budget to $$$$$. This online travel agent will give you an idea of the options and pricing

www.liveaboard.com

We went to the Maldives for our honeymoon, and I would love to go back.  Depending upon how this trip to Belize on the Aggressor pans out, I would consider a Maldives boat/resort based vacation like we are doing in Belize next week.

The other consideration would be I hang by myself at the resort and he goes on the liveaboard.  However, I’ll be paying a single rate.....which can be (almost) as much as another person.

The Maldives Aggressor boat is a different layout from the Caribbean based Aggressor boats - it has a separate dive boat. This a lot more space on the main boat for non dive activities.

For a combo boat/resort - the Four Seasons has 3&4 night trips on their own boat - Four Seasons Explorer. the diving appears to be more an offered activity than the main focus of the trip.

[mich1]

May 15, 2019 12:43:41 GMT -5 chimera said:

May 15, 2019 10:08:25 GMT -5 mich1 said:

We went to the Maldives for our honeymoon, and I would love to go back.  Depending upon how this trip to Belize on the Aggressor pans out, I would consider a Maldives boat/resort based vacation like we are doing in Belize next week.

The other consideration would be I hang by myself at the resort and he goes on the liveaboard.  However, I’ll be paying a single rate.....which can be (almost) as much as another person.

The Maldives Aggressor boat is a different layout from the Caribbean based Aggressor boats - it has a separate dive boat. This a lot more space on the main boat for non dive activities.

For a combo boat/resort - the Four Seasons has 3&4 night trips on their own boat - Four Seasons Explorer. the diving appears to be more an offered activity than the main focus of the trip.

Thanks for this info, I'll keep it in mind.

By any chance do you know anything about diving off the Turkish coast?  We are visiting friends at their summer house in Datca in July.  I told DH that he might want to bring his gear and see what he might be able to find with regards to diving in the area.  

Oh, and another question.....how is tipping handled?  From DH's reading, some boats/divers are anti tipping but others it is highly recommended.  How much?

[chimera]

May 15, 2019 13:37:41 GMT -5 mich1 said:

May 15, 2019 12:43:41 GMT -5 chimera said:

The Maldives Aggressor boat is a different layout from the Caribbean based Aggressor boats - it has a separate dive boat. This a lot more space on the main boat for non dive activities.

For a combo boat/resort - the Four Seasons has 3&4 night trips on their own boat - Four Seasons Explorer. the diving appears to be more an offered activity than the main focus of the trip.

Thanks for this info, I'll keep it in mind.

By any chance do you know anything about diving off the Turkish coast?  We are visiting friends at their summer house in Datca in July.  I told DH that he might want to bring his gear and see what he might be able to find with regards to diving in the area.  

Oh, and another question.....how is tipping handled?  From DH's reading, some boats/divers are anti tipping but others it is highly recommended.  How much?

Have not done Turkey - There was an article in Dive mag awhile back - it looked to have a fair number of sites for Datca- I’ll see if I can find it

On Aggressor it’s usually about 10% of the charter price. They are pro tipping - it tends to be a more US based clientele, even on the franchised boats (boats not in the Caribbean area)

If you are looking one owned by a company based somewhere else they’ll generally let you know if you ask the captain/dive master/reservations agent. it can vary widely Especially if you tipping in the local currency. Some will have a suggested amount that is a decent amount in the local currency - but when converting to US dollars it doesn’t translate into much.

[blue]

Liveaboard is the best way to dive, for sure. DH and I have done a couple in Thailand (MV Oktavia) and the Mergui archipelago in Burma/Myanmar (the company is no longer operating). Great dives, great service, very affordable.

[mich1]

We just got off the liveaboard, and it was a fantastic experience, even for me as a non diver. Everyone was so concerned that I’d be bored, but I’m pretty good at amusing myself. DH was in hog heaven with the diving, there was only one afternoon he didn’t dive, because he had a migraine.

I guess I will be looking for someplace to go next year now. He’s got the bug.....bad!